The fact that I collect everything that Warren Ellis publishes makes no secret of the fact that I”m a fan. Reading through the second page of Ignition City Issue 1, I was reminded of why I like Warren”s work so much. The filthy, stylish and weird dialogue that Ellis manages to conjure up plays right into to my black sense of humour.

In a sense Ignition City is pretty much what one would expect from Warren Ellis. Set in the future of the past this is a retropunk story which stripped to its basics merges sci-fi elements with western flicks. Ignition City is set in an alternate 1956 where gone are the glory days of man going to space and the only spaceport left is the titular city itself. However, rather than a functioning spaceport, Ignition City is more of a place where former space heroes are “exiled” and left to rot. We are introduced to the city and its inhabitants through the main character which Mary Raven who goes there to investigate the death of her father.

The story here is pretty solid, but as is customary from work bearing the authors” name, what makes it stand out is the crazy dialogue that carries it. Pagliarini”s artwork is reminiscent of Geoff Darrow”s work on Hard Boiled. Perhaps more colourful and less crammed. Most impressive is the background work. What”s guaranteed is that certain scenes evoke memories of Sergio Leone”s movies. The more you go through Ignition City the more the artwork is likely to grow on you.

This one is certainly not for children, and those of you who have a high moral fibre should stay away. As for the rest, welcome to the twisted world of Warren Ellis.